A lava fountain gushed from Mount Etna in Sicily on Thursday, sending an orange glow down from a crater.
Dark ash from the eruption fell on towns at the foot of the volcano, and video footage showed residents sweeping a thick layer of dust from streets and sidewalks.
Earlier this week, activity also increased at Stromboli, a volcano near the Aeolian Islands, with huge clouds of ash and debris fall into the sea.
Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicily’s civil protection department, said authorities are investigating the possibility that large volumes of lava falling from the Stromboli volcano could trigger a tsunami.
He said day-trip boats had been halted and the Italian navy was ready to carry out evacuations if necessary.
Stromboli and Etna are active and erupt regularly, but they have a particularly high level of activity, said Claudio Peri, an inspector with the Sicily Fire Brigade.
According to Italian volcanologist Marco Neri, the crater from which Etna’s lava fountain erupted had been inactive for four years, but began erupting about two weeks ago, culminating in Thursday’s explosion.
He added that the ash plume had reached a height of nearly 4,500 metres and that winds had then blown the plume over surrounding towns.
The mayor of the Sicilian port city of Catania, Enrico Trantino, imposed a two-day ban on motorcycles on Friday because of the risks posed by the presence of ash. He set a speed limit for cars of about 32 kilometers per hour.
The runway at Catania airport became unusable on Friday due to volcanic ash, the airport said posted on social mediaand added that arrivals and departures were suspended until at least noon.
